


Heavy Grieves

by UndeservingHero



Series: The Heavy [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Childbirth, F/M, schmoopy feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 13:29:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3412370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndeservingHero/pseuds/UndeservingHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Worry and leathers are all Cullen is wearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heavy Grieves

**Author's Note:**

> There are no graphic depictions of childbirth. I wouldn't make you read that nor do I particularly want to write it. Enjoy.

The hush of rain on the granite stones of the castle's balcony outside their rooms woke Cullen. The dripping patter of it reminded him of how much he had truly missed Ferelden and its full array of seasons. He reached across the pillows but found the bed empty and sat up, looking about for Lavellan.

He saw that the doors were open to the balcony and his brows drew down as he got up. He dragged his fingers through his hair, walking slowly to see if she'd gone out.

He found her in a scene of regal Dalish beauty.

She was sitting on the stone, facing the great mountains. Her skin was bare to the rain and her hair was down, sticking to her shoulders and breasts with the water. Her eyes were closed and she looked absolutely serene.

He stood and watched her for a long time, tracking the rivulets of rain with his eyes as they graced the curves of her body as the smell of rain filled his nose and brought with it memories of summers spent with his brother and sisters in Honnleath. Eventually, he cleared his throat quietly to get her attention. "Lavellan, what are you doing out here?"

Her eyes slid open and she looked up at him, not moving otherwise. "It's getting hard for me to sleep in our bed. I thought I might meditate instead just to give my body some rest while I can." Her hand strayed to her swollen belly then. "He moves downward. The time is growing close."

He swallowed and moved out to sit behind her, his legs going to either side of her as the rain soaked through his leggings. His arms moved around her and cradled her to him. "I worry for your safety, Lavellan."

She leaned against him, a small smile on her face. "It will be fine, Cullen." Her hands covered his and she turned her head to kiss him. "There are fine healers and midwives here. I'm in good hands."

He nuzzled against her wet skin. "Should you be out here in the rain?"

She shrugged. "It's never bothered me before. I miss just going to the trees and staying there for days with nothing but my knives and a knapsack to keep me company. But those days are past until I'll have grown too old for it."

He pressed a small kiss to her jaw. "Do you regret it? Not going back, I mean."

She shook her head. "No. I regret a lot of things in my life, but staying here with you and the Inquisition is not one of them."

He held back his sigh of relief and squeezed her gently. "At least it's a warm rain," he muttered.

She laughed and kissed him, settling back.

 

Keeper Deshanna Lavellan’s arrival was as unexpected as anything could ever be with a spy network the size of Thedas. But somehow she had managed to completely avoid all of Leliana’s song birds until she was only five miles outside of Skyhold.

She walked alone across the sky bridge and was greeted with wariness by the guard until the Inquisitor was alerted and asked them to escort her to the throne room as soon as possible.

Lavellan was sitting on her throne in a deep blue gown, waiting on her former Keeper to enter the hall. Her hair was up in battle braids and her circlet rested against her brow, the seeing eye's sunburst touching just above her nose.

The Keeper smiled when she saw her. "Aneth ara, Da’len. You look well. And it seems I've come just in time for the birthing."

Lavellan smiled. "Andaran atish’an. Indeed you have, Keeper." She rose with only slight difficulty and held a hand out to her so they might walk to the upper gardens together. "Tell me, how did you get so close without anyone seeing you?"

A benign smile greeted her question. "You of all people should know just how quietly we can move, Da’len. The clan is not far behind me. They will be here in a few days, though we ask for a place that is away from the main portion of your Inquisition."

Lavellan laughed lightly. "I had no doubt. When we caught word of your imminent arrival, I had some of my soldiers start working on clearing out one of the planting fields. They have yet to be planted so you won't be disturbing anything."

"That sounds perfect, Lavellan. We will be happy to be under one of our own's hospitality. And safe lands will make a great deal of difference in my peace of mind."

They walked the perimeter of the gardens at a sedate pace, the Keeper mindful of the Inquisitor's bare feet. "So tell me about your Lath. He must be rather special to catch your attentions in the midst of all you've been through."

She smiled. "Indeed, he is. You will meet him this evening, I'm sure. He's with the soldiers at present though, making sure our new recruits are being put through their paces."

"I see. So he's a soldier, then?" the Keeper asked.

Lavellan nodded. "Yes, he's my Commander. He was a templar once, but he is no longer under the influence of the lyrium."

A brow went up at that. "Oh? What caused that decision?"

"Kirkwall," she replied quietly. "He regrets some decisions he made there and does not wish to repeat them ever again."

"Then he is better than many of his compatriots. Even we heard of the red lyrium taint. I just hope Fen’Harel will be kind to them." She shook her head sadly

"As do I, Keeper."

 

Cullen came into the hall that evening covered head to boot in a smattering of mud. He looked disgruntled until he saw Lavellan and another elf standing next to her. He watched merriment light her features when she saw his current state. It made a hard day of making green recruits pay attention worth it.

He made a motion to their chambers and she gave him a small nod before returning her attention to the woman beside her.

He wondered who the new arrival was but didn't stop to ask. He started stripping his armor as he walked up the stairs, prying straps loose from caked on mud.

Thankfully, she knew him well enough now that there was a bath already waiting on him though the water had gone cool. He didn't mind too much though as he sank into it. It gave his muscles a sigh of relief and he laid his head back against the edge of the tub. "I'm getting too old for this."

He sat there a moment longer before scrubbing the mud and blood off of him where one of his recruits had gotten a little overzealous about going up against the Commander. He flinched when the soap got into it and made it sting. "Bloody green recruits."

A few moments later, he was heading down to the main hall after donning the Inquisitor's favourite of his tunics and a pair of leather leggings. His hair was slicked back from his face in loose waves as he pulled the door open from their chambers into the hall.

Dinner was just being served and he sighed at the smell of warm meats as he looked around for the Inquisitor. She was right where he'd seen her last with the older elven woman sitting beside her.

He picked his way through the hall and took his usual seat at her side after dropping a kiss onto her waiting mouth. "Evening, my love."

She smiled at him. "Hello, Cullen." She motioned to the other woman. "This is Keeper Deshanna Lavellan of my clan. Keeper, this is Cullen."

He greeted her with warmth he hadn't been prepared to use. "Welcome to Skyhold, Keeper."

She arched a brow. "Such manners from a shem. I'm impressed."

He just shrugged. "When one's future wife is an elven warrior, one learns to be polite around her family. Besides, I see no reason that you should be treated any differently than humans or dwarves."

A slow smile spread over the Keeper's face. "I do like this one, Lavellan."

The Inquisitor snorted. "I would hope so considering I'm carrying his child."

 

Cullen woke to a soft grunt and then strong fingers grasping his arm that night, blunt nails digging into his skin. “Lavellan?” he asked, groggy from the pair of hours he’d had asleep.

“Cullen, it’s happening,” she said quietly into the dark.

He moved up onto his elbow and stared down at her as the soft glow of the embers highlighted the plains of her face very faintly. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. The bed’s wet beneath me. I need you to go get the Keeper and Leliana. They know what to do.”

He nodded and squeezed her hand briefly. “I’ll be right back.” He kissed her and got up, pulling on his leathers as he dashed down the stairs, barely managing to get himself tucked away before he jerked open the door and put his long legs to use as he bolted out of the sleeping quarters and through the main hall up to the guest quarters along the walls to wake the Keeper.

He banged on her door and it only took her a moment before she pulled it open to look up at him with her gemlike eyes. “It’s time?”

He nodded. “Yes, Keeper. She told me to come get you.”

She laid her hand on his arm. “There will be others that know how to help her through this. I’m assuming you know who they are. Go get them now and worry not. I’ve done this many times. She will be alright.”

He swallowed and nodded again. “Yes, Keeper.”

“Go now, Cullen. I will meet you in your quarters.”

He didn’t need to be told twice, turning and running along the battlements to the belfry where Leliana stayed most of the time and found her at her table, writing a message. She looked up when she heard the slap of running bare feet against stone and saw him in nothing but his leathers and a worried expression.

She stood up immediately. “I’m coming. I’ll gather the midwives. Go back to her, Commander.”

His heart was thudding in his chest as he took the spiral staircase back down the tower and passed through the library and the main hall again before heading back up to their rooms. He was winded slightly, but he’d be alright. He was more worried about his wife.

Well, not yet, but she was as close as one could be.

He slowed at the door to their rooms and calmly walked back up the stairs, trying to slow his heart and even out his breathing. When he crowned the stairs, he saw that the fire had been stoked back to life and fed more logs while Lavellan had been stripped and the bed was covered in clean cloth as she reclined against all of their pillows.

When she saw him, he came to her and sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand. “Can I do anything for you?”

He was desperate to do something, anything, to help her through this.

She smiled at him and touched his face. “No, Cullen. Just stay with me. I’ll be fine. I’m sure Leliana has found the best doctors and midwives in all of Thedas and blackmailed them to come here and help me through this. Just help them and stay with me and we’ll be alright.”

He nodded and covered her hand with his against his cheek as he looked at her with terrified golden eyes. “Anything you ask, Lavellan.”

She smiled before her face screwed up in pain and the grip she had on his hand tightened painfully as she groaned.

“They are coming closer already. This will be a fast one, Da’len,” the Keeper said from behind him.

She managed a nod as she grunted and nearly broke Cullen’s fingers. “Good. Then everyone can go back to bed and get some rest. I hate disturbing you all.”

Cullen gave a confounded smile but the Keeper laughed. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

She came to the side of the bed that Cullen wasn’t sitting on and took her other hand. “We’ll get you through this and your len will be fine. Don’t worry about anyone else right now.”

Lavellan nodded. “Ma serranas,” she gritted out when the contraction finally gave way.

Cullen petted her hair back from her face as Leliana and the surgeon came up the stairs.

“Alright, let us begin,” she said as she let go of Lavellan’s hand.

 

Three hours later, Cullen was sitting beside a breathless, wilting Inquisitor and listening to his son scream his little lungs out while the Keeper held him against her. He shifted and held Lavellan against his side, arm around her shoulders, as the Keeper cleaned up the boy and the Inquisitor.

She smiled as he pressed kisses to her hair and temple and told her how much he loved her.

“How is he, Keeper?” she asked while Cullen kept his attention on her.

“Healthy with all of his pieces as far as I can tell,” she answered and wrapped him up in a bit of linen to hand to her. “Have a look for yourself.”

Lavellan took her son and held him as Cullen looked on reverently as she unwrapped him in her arms. His face scrunched up at the cloth being taken away as he wiggled slightly.

“What will you name him?” Cullen asked her.

“Te’las. Te’las Stanton Rutherford,” she said as she rubbed a thumb over his little hand and kissed it.

Cullen’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Forgive me for asking, but what’s the first meant to be?”

“Tarasyl'an Te'las is the name we gave Skyhold long before the humans came here. He is the first to be born here in over a thousand years. I think he earned it,” she said as she looked up at Cullen.

He nodded and kissed her. “I agree. After going through all of what Corypheus had to throw at you, he’s a little warrior already.”

She smiled at him and then back down at their son. “If he’s anything like his father, he will be.”

He gently touched the boy’s knee but his rough hands made him move away and he felt a pang in his chest at the slight rejection.

Lavellan saw his face. “It’s alright, Cullen. When he’s clothed and more used to this world rather than my womb, he won’t mind so much.” She kissed the scar on his lip in affection.

He nodded. “I will trust your judgement as I haven’t had much experience with children.”

She laughed quietly. “Neither have I, but I think we’ll manage.”

 

 


End file.
